All Comments on 'Three Square Meals Ch. 077'
by Tefler
- 150 Comments
Another outstanding effort in ensuring pan-Galactic peace by our four-balled hero!
Keep this great space opera going with your normal brilliant writing.
Cheers, The Other Dave
I saw the mines coming evendently they don't learn lessons about trap's. Excellent work as always Tefler glad a real battle is on the way again. Still wondering when we will truly see what power they have at their disposal.
They are still acting like the mouse, racing from emergency to emergency, always reacting to the other Progenitor's proxy armies. The problem is that they can't go on the offensive as they have no target to strike. They don't know were his ship is, they would lose a fight if they did find it and he has no other base of operations, planet or allies, not slaves, that they can attack.
John and his crews only hope is that they continue to build their strength and knowledge before their enemy gets bored and decides it time to kill them. They have built up alliances, increased the Invictus's and their mental powers and recruited skilled crew members so at this time it is a race.
Can they get strong enough fast enough? Time (and Tefler) will tell.
what would have happened if the mines were placed so that when the drakkar fleet drops out of the wrap due to gravity wells they are enveloped fully in mines ensuring massive destruction of the fleet.
clara has the sensor data so she can know the relative positions of each ship in the fleet
with the help of faye or irillith she could have mapped the positions where mines should be placed so that maximum damage is occuring or target the flagship so that overlord is killed
without the head the snake might have retreated or attacked a nearby world instead of heading to ashana
Well done, nicely balanced exciting chapter. Thanks for writing and for posting it here.
I'm glad you liked the chapter! It was actually quite a tough one to write, what with balancing the new mech and coming up with names etc.
Chapter 78 is going well and I've written 10k so far. Hopefully it should be an exciting read!
Tefler
Well done again Soon comes the battle I am eager to see how that pans out.
Now in a strange order, Looks like John is very popular among the humans again, maybe another interview is in order.
Once when another Anon I pointed out that a reporter might be good for John's PR and forgot to answer the criticisms to that idea. So here goes.
The Good. The Bad and The Gawker.
John will always be a public figure, now with the charities and cornering of markets, Arms and Medicines not to mention the charity he's setting up there will be those who will want to use less direct means to bring ruin to him. not caring who gets caught up in the middle of everything. Suggest ulterior motives to the press about his actions.
Having someone who can navigate the pariahs of the media world, who to give interviews to, who will twist his words and who will make up bull shit nobody with any sense believes so can be ignored.
This will also work for dealings with Terra and the Protectorate considering how ling John will live those who know they owe him a debt will pass on, how will stories be corrupted in that time?
The threats are growing, among the Maliri border, two sides ready to attack maybe. After all we know that the Dark One/Progenitor gives no shit to what happens to his allies and destruction against any that stand in his way. Calara saw through one feint but what if this was just a plan to get John out of Maliri space. sacrificing two species to get access to a third?
Love the Mecha suit out to destroy ships I can see Dana pulling poses after the battle.
Now the big worry, you've left us with two portent scenes with Dana, John pulling out and not getting her pregnant after he was told how to, and then with the Mecha itself, the mild fault and not hearing it's name.
There has been a lot of talk about John needing a loss with Athena, So I am a little worried.
Thank you for another great chapter. Very easily worth 5 stars as they ready for another battle.
You started out this tale as a good writer and then you went to better and then to great and then to greater and then to fabulous and now to incredible. . . . . I have a fairly short personal list of favorite 'Lit' authors and each have their characteristic style and strengths. You are on that list and you inspire me to think_about/consider/envision writing as a form of personal expression and the various skills that go into such an endeavor . . . thanks for the dedication and consistency that when added to visionary talent/ability brings pleasure to so many. I wish you whatever form and amount of fame and fortune that would bring you pleasure and serve your greatest good.
Thanks for another great chapter.
I'm looking forward to seeing what her mech is capable of doing. I wouldn't mind seeing a Gundam/Robotech type mech in development either. I think they'd have definite potential (Of course my geek brain is going back to the days of my youth).
Thanks for another great chapter
Not necessarilya greedy person but damn want more of these stories almost a need
Well done. this has to be one of your best yet. loved the way you got things in line to tel your tale.Well worth the time it took for you to do it wright.Cant say THANK YOU too much. Well done ZEKE7474
Please make Sparks make a gundam please i know it possible. please
I'm very interested in seeing the upcoming battle. I have to admit, I share AccuracyVsGuesswork's concerns about this upcoming battle. I hope I'm wrong, but I can't shake the sense of impending doom. Also interesting, at this point all the civilizations we have seen so far have faced major, possibly existential, threats: The Terrans, Kintark, and Ashanath from war/external threats, and the Trankarans and Maliri from civil war. The Terrans actually have faced two if you count the AI uprising. I can't help but wonder what threats the Brimorians or the minor civs are facing that we haven't heard about. At a minimum, we know (even if John, his crew, and the Maliri don't) about the Enshunu at Underworld. (Is Underworld a old Achonin base? The age and technological sophistication certainly argue in favor of it, but the fact that the control rod apparently controls substantial weaponry argues against it. Of course, substantial and sufficient aren't always the same thing. After all, those weapons weren't even enough to keep the Bloodnovas from displacing the Scorpions at Underworld)
Regarding the planned awards ceremony, Why not have the Maliri wear their armor to the awards ceremony? I understand having gotten used to not wearing it and not wanting to hide, but it's what the Maliri do. John being allied with the Maliri isn't inherently that damaging. I don't recall that they've even been keeping the alliance all that secret (although I'd have to go back and reread portions to be sure, and the story's gotten too long for undertaking such an endeavor casually). In fact, the open presence of Maliri in the crew that saved Terra might even help establish public relations favorable to a future alliance between the Terrans and Maliri (probably with the Trankarans and Ashanath as well). in the future, John could easily find himself needing to unite the governments that he currently has personally favorable relations with into a single force to counter the BSP.
Even if the BSP is the same progenitor that fought Mael'nerak, it is possible that he hasn't made the connection between the armor cloaked Maliri and Mael'nerak's blue skinned servants. Obscuring the connection between Mael'nerak's servants and the Maliri was seemingly the intent of Valada's order that Maliri conceal their appearance after all. Revealing the continued presence of Mael'nerak's servants to the BSP seems far more dangerous to the goal of opposing him than openly revealing John being allied with the Maliri. If BSP learns that Mael'nerak's servants still exist, he will undoubtedly try to figure out where they are, and either attack the Maliri before they are ready, which would be bad, or start taking Maliri thralls of his own, which would likely be worse; BSP taking Maliri thralls could be an absolute disaster. Quite likely, it would restart the civil war that was just averted. Alternatively, a "popular" revolt caused by agents/thralls of the BSP could separate the Matriarchs (who are now all aligned with John) from their power bases. More subtly, but possibly far worse, John and his allies are currently operating on the principal that white haired Maliri are inherently trustworthy. White haired thralls to the BSP would make fantastic spies, saboteurs, and assassins.
I'm hoping Edraele, with her decades of political scheming, will come to see the risks of exposing Mael'nerak's servants publicly and the value of laying the groundwork for an alliance. To that end, it is unfortunate that Edraele doesn't currently know the contents of Valada's two messages as they would likely encourage Edraele to think along the lines of keeping the presence of Mael'nerak's servants secret. John or Alyssa could share those messages with her anytime, and they probably should just for the sake of Edraele's knowledge and connection to her distant ancestress. (Actually, does she know? She was in John's mind immediately afterwords)
I agree with others who see the improvement as the story has progressed. You started strong and your writing keeps getting stronger! Thank you for continuing to post here, Patreon isn't an option for me at this time.
I have a vision of Tanasha spinning, twisting and whirling in her armor dealing death and destruction with both pistols blazing like Roland of Gilead.
Thanks again Tefler. This is a fantastic story. I eagerly (impatiently) await each chapter, but no complaints here, I appreciate all your effort!!
Tef mentioned in a comment that his patrons had a chance to vote on the name of Dana's mech. I'm not in that group but I still have opinions that I'm more than willing to share.
It seems to me that there is only one possible candidate for the name and I will lay out my case, not that it matters.
It has been clear throughout the story that Tef has a thing for mythological names, mostly Greek and Roman with a few nods elsewhere.
Earlier weapon systems developed by Dana are the Punisher rail guns and the Justice Lasers.
John's current mission is restoring order to the galaxy in the wake of the chaos created by the BSP.
Therefore, the new Mech is the first Jupiter class weapons platform. After all, Jupiter was the Roman god of order, justice, and strength (among other things).
On a slightly different topic:
Tefler, you said you spent a lot of time coming up with names for things in this chapter. Photon Laser is really the best you could think of? Laser is actually an acronym and the L stands for light. Light is comprised of photons. All lasers are photon lasers. What else could they be?
-aderi
I glad you are adding thr mrch, not sure why I wanted them to have it so much but I glad you gave itto us..... err them.
Really? For saying you are going to enjoy this next chapter? LMAO. I hope you never get a Christmas present from me! (I will tell you ahead of time you are going to like it!) LMAO. Some people really need to get on Decaff!
"The coming battle and award ceremony. I'm very interested in seeing the upcoming battle. I have to admit"
Some poster named Anon will want to tear you a new one if you say it will be a good chapter! (Yes, I am still laughing...Christmas and Birthdays must be REAL fun at that house!)
You passed this threshold with chapter 77. Man, that's massive. You'll be rivalling David Weber's Safehold output if you go on like that!
since Dana is about to be a mecha pilot, here are a few tips from the evil overlords list
1.-Once you've launched, it is way too late to wonder if this is a good idea.
2.-NEVER get into a fight without more ammunition than the other guy.
3.-The engine output and the coolant temp must BOTH be kept in the GREEN. Failure to heed this commandment can affect the morale of the crew.
4.-Cover your Buddy, so he can be around to cover for you.
5.-Decisions made by someone above you in the chain-of-command will seldom be in your best interest.
6.-Sometimes, being good and lucky still is not enough.
7.-If everything is as clear as a bell, and everything is going exactly as planned, you're about to be surprised.
8.-Loud, sudden noises in a cockpit WILL get your undivided attention.
9.-The BSR (Bang Stare Red) Theory states that the louder the sudden bang in the cockpit, the quicker your eyes will be drawn to the gauges. The longer you stare at the gauges the less time it takes them to move from green to red.
10.-No matter what you do, the bullet with your name on it will get you. So, too, can the ones addressed "To Whom It May Concern".
11.-If you are wearing body armor, they will probably miss that part.
12.-Happiness is a belt-fed weapon.
13.-Having all your body parts intact and functioning at the end of the day beats the alternative.
14.-It is a bad thing to run out of airspeed, altitude, and ideas all at the same time.
15.-Everybody's a hero ... on the ground ... in the club ... after the fourth drink.
16.-A free fire zone has nothing to do with economics
17.-Actually, in a way it has everything to do with economics. It's a question of whether or not an enemy commander's troops have more comparative value to him than ammunition is to your commander.
18.-The further you fly from base, the louder the strange engine noises become.
19.-Medals are OK, but having your body and all your friends in one piece at the end of the day is better.
20.-"Pucker Factor" is the formal name of the equation that states the more hairy the situation is, the more of the seat cushion will be sucked up your asshole. It can be expressed in its mathematical formula of S (suction) + H (height) above ground) + I (interest in staying alive) + T (# of tracers coming your way)
21.-There is only one rule in war: When you win, you get to make up the rules.
22.-C-4 (or other plastic explosive of choice) can make a dull day fun.
23.-There is no such thing as a fair fight-only ones where you win or lose.
24.-If you win the battle you are entitled to the spoils. If you lose you don't care.
25.-Nobody cares what you did yesterday or what you are going to do tomorrow. What is important is what you are doing-NOW-to solve our problem.
26.-Prayer may not help . . . but it can't hurt.
27.-Flying is better than walking. Walking is better than running. Running is better than crawling. All of these, however, are better than extraction by a Med-Evac, even if it is, technically, a form of flying.
28.-Always have an escape option (Vector, line, etc.) avalable.
29.-Never argue with the Captain. He might just pimp-slap your scrawny behind.
30.-Controls that work off of life energy are fun, at least until your Mekton gets hungry...
31.-If you have parents, you won't by the end of the series.
32.-If you have a girlfriend, you won't by the end of the series.
33.-Alternatelly, if you have a girlfriend, expect her to take a shot at you before the end of the series.
34.- If you don't have a girlfriend, you will by the end of the series.
35.- And she's probably one of the enemy.
36.-Also, if you somehow find someone you think is your soulmate in the midst of a crazy war, arrest her and turn her in to the MPs, because she is almost certainly an enemy agent
37.-Always make sure that respected authority figures onboard have their Last Will & Testament(s) ready...if you're lucky, you might be a benificiary when they cack.
38.-When all else fails, try singing.
39.-If all else has failed and you're going to try singing, please don't sing "We Will Win"...that just might make the enemy madder.
40.-There's no such thing as overkill.
41.-Murphey's Law only seems to apply to you.
42.-If someone paints their mech so that it stands out, AVOID IT!
43.-The best time to kick a man is when he's down.
44.-Friendly fire isn't.
45.-Military intelligence is an oxymoron.
46.-Violence solves everything. If it doesn't, you're not using enough.
47.-After you have pulled the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend.
48.-Angst-ridden teenagers are far more likely too kill you in combat than hardened soldiers.
49.-There is no problem that cannot be solved with an adequate amount of high explosive
50.- Don't get between the BIG GUN (tm)and its target
51.- If anyone in your family has 'mysteriously disappeared' they're probobly working for the enemy now.
52.-The same goes for childhood friends
53.-There is always at least one person in the enemy's camp who's life's dream is to punch your ticket.
54.-Its often mutual.
55.-And you often wind up best buddies at the end.
56.-Or you kill each other in the final episode.
57.-Just because a missile is HOMING doesnt mean it will home in on the enemy.
58.-The hero can always mow down large numbers of the enemy.
59.-If you can't, then it's time to change careers.
60.-You can never have enough ammo (or weapons, armor, speed, etc.).
61.-A gun (or sword, axe, bazooka etc) is your best friend UNLESS it's in the enemy's hands.
62.-Armor is your second best friend UNLESS it's on your enemy.
63.-If the mission is so easy that a monkey (or child) can do it YOU are going to screw it up royally.
64.-If you can't see your enemy you're in trouble.
65.-The enemy is always better equiped, more experienced, and/or has more numbers than your side.
66.-...But your side will develope a weapon that can defeat the enemy easily.
67.-If your side isn't the like the above then you are on the wrong side.
and lastly, I nominate "pistol packin mamma" by bing Crosby and the Andrew sisters
as Tashana's theme song. if you played fallout 4 then you have heard it.
if not then check it out on youtube
Tefler, love the stories please keep them comming
“John or Alyssa could share those messages with her anytime, and they probably should just for the sake of Edraele's knowledge and connection to her distant ancestress. (Actually, does she know? She was in John's mind immediately afterwords)”
She was listening to his thoughts as he was hearing it. Something John is so keen on hearing about would have piqued her interest as well. So that is a given in my mind.
“More subtly, but possibly far worse, John and his allies are currently operating on the principal that white haired Maliri are inherently trustworthy. White haired thralls to the BSP would make fantastic spies, saboteurs, and assassins.”
Umm, who would do the maintenance on their ships? ALL the techs will be under Edraele...especially when he returns this next time.
“John being allied with the Maliri isn't inherently that damaging. I don't recall that they've even been keeping the alliance all that secret (although I'd have to go back and reread portions to be sure, and the story's gotten too long for undertaking such an endeavor casually).”
If you go back to Chapter 69 page 2 you will find:
“John relaxed in his chair, then smiled confidently at the four Terran officers as he said, "I'd love to continue this meeting, but unfortunately we'll need to wrap it up soon. I need to return to Maliri Space, as I've got pressing business with Edraele Valaden, leader of the highest ranked Maliri Noble House. It's a long trip to her homeworld." Karl Weber looked extremely dubious as he asked, "You've been into Maliri Space?" "A couple of times now," John replied with an air of indifference. "Preposterous," Weber scoffed. "The Maliri don't let anyone past their trading posts!" "I made quite the impression on Edraele," John said with a calculating smile. "Where else do you think I got all the guns from?"
I thought about that as well. Thinking the personality issue would give them away.
Was I right? Did you like the chapter? I know I did!
That scene with Dana and Rachel was one of the hottest you've written. The temptation to knock Dana up right in front of him, flatly telling Rachel he needed to use her ass, and perhaps hottest of all, RACHEL of all people telling John to "make me your butt-slut!" A major reminder that amidst all the sci-fi, there's also some serious erotica going on here.
You'd better get the next part out VERY quickly!
It's just horribly impolite to tease us this way and then leave us hanging!
Seriously though, you have just published part 77 of something that is turning out to be a novel eminently worth publishing, and each chapter isn't just a page or two; for the most part these are long chapters.
I don't think there is a single author here on literotica that has managed to keep a story going this long and keep it even marginally as coherent and exciting as you have done.
Beyond making us all fall in love with your story, (that alone is an achievement in itself) at least for my part I'm willing to suffer through waiting for the next chapter for at least another couple of hundred episodes.
We love you! Now, get to writing more!
white haired girls as spies or assassins. How's that going to work? if they get anywhere near John or either of his two matriarchs they will instantly know they aren't connected to them, plus John and them seem to know and recognise them all by name because of the link. You'd think it impossible to do all the traditional sneaky stuff when the fact you're disguised makes you stand out like a sore thumb.
Wow totally forgot about the mech Dana picked up, holy shit I can't wait to see it in action. Tefler, you going to give it a beam saber or a heat hawk? :)
In Ch. 55, Edraele said to the newly enthralled engineers, "Any Maliri with white hair, you can consider a close ally, and someone you can trust with your life." We have no reason to believe that their thinking has changed since then.
John, Edraele and maybe Alyssa can detect impostors, but they would be easy to avoid. There are only three of them, two are currently off station, and Genthalas shipyard is a big place. When there are nearly 1000 white haired women around, not everyone will know everyone else by sight. Edaele has explicitly ordered them to presume trust in other white haired Maliri. In those circumstances spying is trivial, sabotage scarcely harder, and assassination definitely possible if you don't care about sacrificing thralls (and we know that the BSP is perfectly willing to do so, e.g. Admiral Lynton.) Yes, the non-Edraele Matriarchs have bodyguards, but when they are not around Edraele their bodyguards explicitly have reason to trust a potential assassin until it is too late.
Tefler, all I can ask is don't make us wait another 2 weeks PLEEEEEEASE.
I cannot wait for the next chapter and this 2 week stretch is just killing me
So much is going on here. Can't wait to 'see' the action in up coming chapters. Great writing.
Trying to hold off needing my next fix :-)
*Mecha Pilot*, ur points at numbers 19, 21, 27 & 36 were both hilarious and true (sobering) at the same time. Thanks for sharing
Fucking GUNDAM is going to be so kick ass! Imagine a whole squad of them for the girls, too!
My only major quibble is that the pilot is in the head; that's a spot most likely to attract fire and less armored than the chest. I suppose if the power core is in there, that would make sense. The other point is that there ISN'T A HUGE-ASS SWORD OR BATTLE AXE TO GO WITH IT..
Should also max-fold-forge a shield for it.
I've recently caught up with the present story arc, can someone please explain why John's babies( with Jade and maliri twins) won't look like him? Also, Maelnerak looked like a human except the ears but his children with valada were maliri as well!
It has been mentioned numerous times, the little green kittens or blue babies.
Nick
I just don't get the hype of the chapter.
IMO it is a filler, nothing really new here.
Mecha? we asked for it way before, not sure what help it will do in a space battle... only thing is if they do arrive late and have to fight on the planet surface.
Pregnancy on demand? was it really such an important find? since it is the future I would have guess child control (when not, and when to get pregnant) is much more advance, and beside if you'll live forever apart from saving on condoms/pills what is the big need for this "development".
Hope next chapter is the expected battle.
Calling it filler disregards a lot of fairly important developments in this chapter. No there are no huge space battles; it is primarily concerned with providing background information (Valada's messages) and setting up the next several chapters, especially the coming Ashanath/Drakar battle. Introducing the mech is important as it is explicitly stated to be part of their plan for the upcoming battle (although I'm somewhat dubious about using a mech in ship to ship battle, you use what you have not what you'd like to have. EXTREME dubiousness also applies to not having Dana aboard during the battle, but the same logic applies (as stated by John). They can probably lean on Faye for in-battle engineering needs though).
It also set up future interactions with the Admiralty and public relations opportunities (including, but far from limited to, the awards ceremony). I'll admit that I'm not quite sure what to make of the triggered pregnancy bit, but it fits with the overall style of the story. Laying the groundwork for Maliri Regency wide cooperation is not to be underestimated either.
Setting the stage for the battle over Ashana is really pretty important. The Ashanath are desperate enough to use suicide tactics as a stalling mechanism. They've significantly weakened the Drakar force by using the minefield the way they did (you could argue that the mines would have been better used by waiting for the larger ships to enter the minefield, but that better shot might never come and the heavy loss of screening ships is not to be underestimated). For what it's worth, they've also REALLY pissed off the Drakar. Angry Drakar will fight even more furiously than normal, but angry people make mistakes.
Oh, and this chapter introduced "The Legacy", some as yet unrevealed thing (undoubtedly, this is (at least part of) the heavily defended secret stored at the base where they showed John the stone tablets, and which John was planning to press the Ashanath about) which the Ashanath ancestors would not allow to be used without full consensus of the council. (For those who find such things interesting, we also saw that the Ashanath telepathy is more than merely speaking to one another's mind)
Please forgive those of us who prefer the deep dive rather than the tepid shallows.
Thinking you are missing a lot. And it seems I am not alone in that thought.
A good story is like good sex. If your only goal is your climax then you do not engage in either good stories or good sex.
Both are 90% about GETTNG to the climax and enjoying the courting, caressing, petting, and pleasuring along the way. Otherwise it is just an empty exercise providing shallow comfort and only short term satisfaction.
Of course, if that is all one understands, then one is destined to not enjoy either to the depths many of us do.
Much like those in highly controlled societies, when dumped into the freedoms of a free society, cannot handle the plethora of choices that confront them and actually rebel against their own newfound freedom. Their internal reality just will not let them explore, much less enjoy, an alternate reality.
Similarly, if one has grown up with instant coffee, instant food, instant movies, instant friendships, instant lovers, and instant communications: the appreciation and joy and intrigue of the path of even slightly protracted anticipation becomes an unbearable emotion which triggers confusion, frustration, aggression, and even a sense of loneliness and fear.
Living a life full of constant distractions really isn't living at all, it is the avoidance of living. And far too many today mistake breathing with living. Living a life with the expectation of constant and instant gratification is an EXTREMELY shallow life indeed.
I am a deep diver, and proud of it. I am so disheartened by those who want to insist a shallow life is the only real way to live.
And THAT, dear Anon, is why I and many others here are able to see what you are missing. I applaud that you have taken the first step to recovery in your initial realization that you are missing something. I encourage you to continue investigating that...you will find the journey well worth your time.
Call it filler. I might do the same.
Have you ever had a three or four course meal?
Why bother with soup and or salad?
Just add a few ounces of entree and it is a decent meal.
More meatloaf!
Why not skip dessert too?
I will just splash some ketchup on the meatloaf instead.
So I don't want maximum enjoyment. Just hook me up to a feeding tube and keep a continuous drip of cream of chicken drained into my withered gut.
A good salad and or soup is a pleasure and tantalizes my appetite so I will appreciate the entree more fully. The dessert afterwards can be pure indulgence.
A real chef is an artist, but you need an experienced palate to know the difference between Big Macs and beef bourguinon.
It does take more time to have the salad first, and in a fast food world a big Mac is an easier sell.
I agree, with the need for a sword, but with one hand wielding the gatling guns thinking it would be better to have an appropriately sized bowie knife made of 8 shaped Crystal Alyssium...say one with a 3 meter blade and handle with built in 'brass' knuckles. Provide contacts in the palm to channel power core energy to the blade for cutting through things when the photon lazers would not be appropriate.
I have a few thoughts.
1 If John can control the gender, could he also control the genetic makeup of his child in terms of species? So species of the mother or another projenitor.
2 Since all Progenitors are male*, perhaps female children are the mother's species and male children become progenitors. This would also explain the Malari birth ratio after Mal bred with them for many millennia, if he was always having girls.
3 Perhaps all Progenitor children regardless of gender are the mother's race. So you would need a female Progenitor to explain John. Is that possible with his mother*?
*Athena was created not born...so...?
-Mike
So if they need the mech, are they planning to use it in a boarding action? I know they discussed how maneuverable it is in space, but what is the point of arms/legs if not to use them?
They discussed the size of the Drakkar in their powered armour, but from the description of the mech, I'm not so sure it would fit too well inside a Drakkar ship.
Of course, the other option is that the troops land and it becomes a ground battle. This could be interesting as, so far, most troop battles have been in enclosed spaces.
Tefler, whatever you have in mind, keep it going, I'm loving the story!
After finding this, I am delighted with the series. It is top notch and Tefler has done such a great job so far. I look forward to continuing chapters.
Don't get me wrong I like the idea of a Mech.
I just thought it would have been designed better. Control sticks and pedals sounds more like something you would find on a modern day tank not a futuristic war machine.
I would think seeing as Dana is a genius engineer/weapons designer she would have made the Mech control system tie in with the pilots Paragon Armour. So if the pilot emulates walking running shooting etc the Mech would do it.
Or perhaps designed for Faye to use. Now that would give them some serious firepower, imagine ten or twenty Mechs running around individually controlled by Faye.
Great story, as usual. I'm fascinated as to how you can suspend my usual disbelief, but the story wouldn't work if that did not happen. And it does, really well done!
My only problem is that John is spread so thin in this universe, he is forever scrambling to keep up, and the odds seem to be continually being stacked higher against him, worse as more of the backstory emerges. So here we have a guy who managed to save a few races in some (spectacular) battles, but doesn't seem to realise that the war is much bigger. In fact things look grim. So why not leave a few offspring as a legacy? Hopefully to continue his efforts in the future? At the moment, some changes in the Maliri society are about the sum total of his long-term legacy, and that would be a shame after all the lead-in work.
After all that is the point of the story. I look forward to discovering just what transpires as the series builds.
Keep up the good writing!
Great as always just wish there had been more to read (sorry but I just can't get enough of this story).
Honestly the idea of mechs has engendered quite the love of scifi fans for years but there is major problems with them, at least outside of space. One is that in atmo air pressure required for living is unavailable and due to the neccessary thickness of the armour the pressure in the cockpit can be... lethal. However that is irrelevant in spacial combat. What is relavent is that even with the size of this mech the very dimensions of it would most likely lack neccessary redundant systems to be truely useful in anything but small scale battles where damage is unlikely. As the smallest damage can overload "seemingly" non-associated systems. Which can cause a spectacularly deadly chain reaction that can, mind you possible not assured, core generater explosion. Just my two cents after years of casual research and a legitimate fandom of series such as "Zoids." "Gundam." And a few other i have watched casually.
Tefler:
I'm curious as to why the girls let John get away with intellectual slackness or laziness. If it is true that John made Sakura what she is then it stands to reason that he made Rachel, Sparks, Calara and Irillith what they are. In other words, he should be their intellectual equals in their perspective fields because he made them what they are but no one calls him on this. Why not or am I missing something?
-G333
"Or perhaps designed for Faye to use. Now that would give them some serious firepower, imagine ten or twenty Mechs running around individually controlled by Faye."
NOW you have it. However, this is just the prototype right now and it was finished last minute. But I agree: Why put one of the family at risk out on an island when, with a small server, Faye could pilot/operate them remotely.
Store them in the new, enlarged hanger bay with proprietary comms links that have huge bandwidths and a (progen server maxed bit length) fractal comms key so they cannot be easily hacked. Give them a full sensor suite and set up a battle communications net to share target identification, allocation, battlefield updates and tactics and Faye becomes a one AI fleet decimator.
She could control about 50 of them (remember Nexus was controlling 50 ships using a 'broken' server and program. Now imagine this: 50 mechs, 4 sets of 4 photon cannons driving a wedge through a fleet just knocking out shields while the Invictus stands off and pummels them with singularity driven mass ordinance outside their fire ranges. The Raptor assists with any bomber/fighter defenses. The fight is over before it begins. Just a matter of getting it done.
Conversely, If you have a space station or planetary inderdiction (like with the unresolved underworld issue) the Invictus and Raptor provide cover while the mechs do a surgical insertion.
50 mechs, inside a space station or in a city/compound with 4 photon lasers each equates to 200 independently targetable beam lasers that are each more powerful than a Terran Cruiser's beam laser loadout...working INSIDE the structure/city with the efficiency that only an AI (or Alyssa) can provide.
Makes me excited just thinking about it. And that doesn't even include the high calibre rotary gatling guns firing combinations of AP/incindiary/high explosive rounds (set the mechs in squads of 3, each one with a different gun loadout, in more intense engagements where that might be necessary for the battleplan).
You could have a very effective planetary defense grid when the Invictus or the crew are on down time.
I loved that you shortened up the sex scenes except for those that bring something new.
I lost my immersion in the story when Dana said to move it over 3 inches, I am sure she would be using metric measurements.
The mech is "cool" but a swarm of drones controlled by Faye is way cooler. I am thinking of a flying tank of sorts. Heavily armored so it can ram ships (breach and drop hundreds of little robots that are effectively flying grenades or remote control devices for Rill), highly maneuverable, and has a fully rotating gattling cannon on top (like the mech). Best of all, make them black to make them even harder to see.
A Mecha is one of those techs that are too much fun to skip out when you have a chance but one on this scale would be only possible with super strong super light materials. Check.
30 x the height of a person, it would weigh 27000 x as much without much lighter materials. Built to the scale frame equivalent of 100 kilo man, that would 2700 metric tonnes. Or 270 metric tonnes after lightweight and super strength materials reduce it in density so that 100 kilo man would be a 10 kilo carbon fiber shell. Or Alyssium crystal shell. But then you pack in hardware. Basically there is a ground pressure issue. If everything scales 30x height, width, length, gives you an increase in ground pressure of 30 x unless density is altered. The changes in width and length of the feet would be fine but you might sink in mud with 30 people standing on your shoulders.
It is the fat elephant problem. You need big feet like building a pyramid foundations wide to be reliably stable as you get really tall and heavy, and you don't want to fall.
A person falls over is a center mass drop of just over a meter.
A 40 meter fall is a bit more hazardous. It would take almost 3 seconds to hit the ground but it would be at more than 100 kph when you get there. Design for repeatedly crashing at highway speeds is tricky.
Elephants do not jump. Most large dinosaurs wouldn't have either.
Just as a further scale up laugh: Throwing a 75 mile per hour fastball, as a mecha this size would give you a mach 3 fastball the size of golf cart.
John and the girls are more cohesive than a caravel of Code Monkeys! I love it!
The Cthulhu-kin in their private pocket pool are getting scarier by the nightmare, this story is totally gripping and I really like the fill-in with foreshadowing. There are more shoes in the air than there are at Mercury's pad in Olympus.
The Maliri death sentence for not wearing armor in public is being changed to life in prison. That's a relief! Of course no one will recognize a Maliri and the big Federation victory newscast with the new, blue, thrall won't be noticed by the ebil-Progenitor. (facepalm)
I feel that the ship's mass drivers get no respect. From way back when they used to have some hyper-tachyon ammo. I can't figure out how a hyper-anything would keep working in one of those hyper-interdiction field they're always stumbling upon but it must have been the extra grip from the FTL tachyons. How would you even aim something like that, anyway? Lead, follow, or get out of the way!
Conversely, the ammo seem it's slower than light and have a range limit like beam weapons. It'll come as a big surprise to some hapless bunch of folks fifty-million years and a bazillion parsecs away from the battle when their planet gets bombarded with old out-of-range shells that just kept going.
I watched the movie, "Red Planet" the other day and it'll never be the same again! The dialog for the ship's captain cracked me up when I remembered TSM and John's quad. BOWMAN: "I want ten milliliter bursts. Now!"
Yeah, well, the physics of the mass drivers has been discussed before. There really is no 'max range' other than something getting hit since there is no atmosphere to slow it down...except gravity wells, maybe. But something moving close to the speed of light, a gravety well might change its trajectory, but would not be able to pull it in unless it was a black hole. Just one of the qirks of Tefler's Universe.
They could have drones & mechs they did say it could hold a destroyer in it.
The shells aren't *just* mass, that's the part that's not received the respect along with the "out-of-range" syndrome.
They should have added another rail for the Invictus so it can fire three-round bursts like everyone else. I can't remember what they have now for the mass drivers to hurl at their foes but they're supposed to be even meaner and nastier shells! The old projectiles had a hyper component should that have put them out of the normal universe into hyperspace and right through any defensive beam/mass shields. Slathering them with buttery FTL tachyon goodness would move them back in time, you would have to aim at wherever the target was before it arrived and that's some very tricky tracking.
A target's not going to move out of range, the problem would be targeting something your ammo can't hit because it hasn't even arrived at the range yet!
Anyway! The story and the imaginary weapons are all going to work and move at the speed of plot and I'm getting a worried about their presently-adorable little purple AI being tied in to so many weapons.
So, the new Sonic Cannons that have just replaced most, if not all, of the Gatling Lasers as Invictus' anti-intrusion weapons play merry hell on flesh but struggle against heavy armor.
And the Grand Overlord of the Drakkar invasion fleet and his personal retinue have Progenitor-supplied armor and weapons.
And as John reminded everyone, the Drakkar love boarding actions.
Sounds like fun!
What if the progenitors were good guys back in time then a powerful astral being came and placed an anti personalty in each of them for its motives which could be the psychic energy as more thralls provides more energy( could be the anti thing working as a leach) then later Maelnerak somehow manages to overcome this personalty and became the good guy again and when John was conceived he placed the mind shield to temporary stop the PJ from taking over until either he comes and fix the issue permanently or John himself find something out.
Re: wild theory
😐
That's wild. And disturbingly plausible. That might explain why the astral behemoths are out to get him. They sure seemed appalled by Athena, as well-a progenitor who created in love.
One small problem with a portion of your idea.
Way back whenever, the crew discussed stuff. It seems John had an anger management problem growing up. His grandfather enrolled him in martial arts (if I remember correctly) and John's sensei taught him to meditate to control his temper. We (readers) and the crew decided that is where John's mind shield came from. PJ was influencing John as a kid, and then got locked up for inappropriate behavior (by human standards).
At least that is how I recall things going.
Tashana was pretty sure that Progenitors were designed to acquire armies of female warriors to conquer worlds . Along those lines what if their creators were the Astral beings ,they seemed happy with John's first dreams/astral trips where he dreamed of armies of woman & death & destruction & only became hostile when he rejected them . What if the Progenitors were created to lay waste to worlds & provide the Astral beings with the Millions & Billions of dead souls? feeding them their energy ? When Mael-nerak became "civilized / tamed" by Valada he stopped conquering & killing & that's when his brother was sent . Valada mentioned in her tapes that Progenitors engaged in endless War & Destruction & never really seemed to be creating a stable
Progenitor Civilization . Would make a little sense if Mass Destruction( to feed the Astral beings ) was their only reason for being .
to have a certain internal logic that fits the story Big65, not something that I think I can instantly knock down. It may well be that the history of the progenitors that we see and assume is coming from people who are hardly unbiased in their telling, and their races don't seem to live long enough to have first hand accounts of early history of progenitors
The reason I suggested that theory was because of the number of progenitors present in the story arc (2 or maybe 3). Where are the rest of the civilisation? Only the astral being seemed powerful enough to defeat a progenitor.The way I see it is that either the astral being has kept the rest of the progenitors in deep sleep or has executed them ( except a few who are his puppets for psychic energy )
It's like what happened in star trek when Khan and his people who had special abilities, were captured and later Khan was forced to do the work of that general or something except in this case, the progenitors didn't know that they were being forced ( or maybe they knew!)
As for mind shield, if you are looking the story my way, do you really think a powerful astral being who had defeated a full grown progenitor ( who had loads of psychic energy) would get shrugged off by Meditation from a teen?
John's anger management issues could have arisen due to absence of his mother and father. Such children usually get defensive real quick to avoid being picked on.
As far as the Mecha is concerned, You said that it is very tall, therefore would not fit in any standard passage, as such a Sword that was folded at least 12 times should cut thru any armor allowing John and the Girls easy access to enemy ships or Dana could make smaller versions that could be controlled by Faye that way John would not have to risk any crew in boarding actions. I would build 20 of the full size ones and 100 to 200 of the smaller versions and would also station some on the Raptor as well.
I would hope that you never end this story at least for a couple of years!!
Wiserman4u
First of all, the story contains 4 or 5 Progenitors, not 2 or 3. At a minimum, there's Mael'nerak, his brother, John, and Alyssa. We don't yet know if the BSP is Mael'nerak's unnamed brother or a 5th Progenitor.
Secondly, Athena was the one who stated that John created his own mind shield through meditation in his youth and that this was the reason PJ decided to take over instead of being a guide for John like Athena is (was? I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the merge happened during the fight with Tashana) for Alyssa. That's not a fan theory. If you don't believe me, reread the chapter where Athena was introduced.
Third, Tashana states that the Progenitors were created to be conquerors. It's a little weird to state that she's a biased source on this since it is derived from evidence she got by studying Valada's artifacts. Valada served Mael'nerak for over 30,000 years. I think it's pretty safe to assume that she knew what she was talking about.
As for your question about where the rest of the Progenitors are, I can think of two potential answers right of the top of my head. The first is one I proposed a couple chapters ago. They killed each other off. They were bred for conquest. What better opponent could they have than each other? Alternatively, we know that the BSP can travel by wormhole. Since that's an, as yet, undefined term in Tefler's world, for all we know, the Progenitors are from another universe, altogether.
Frankly, all we can safely conclude from the text is that at least 3 Progenitors were originally created. We know this because, in the data crystal that Tashana recovered, Mael'nerak states that one of his brothers has come to challenge his dominion. You will note that he doesn't say uncles, cousins, sisters, nephews, etc. If we take this literally (I must admit I'm not familiar with idiomatic expressions in ancient Maliri) then, all we know is that some race of humanoids created a subspecies that took over. One of the (at least 3) Progenitors decided to seek his fortunes elsewhere and traveled to our sector of the Milky Way.
That also ties into someone else's comment about Progenitor offspring. John is the only example in the story of a Progenitor being conceived and born. We know the originals were created. We know Alyssa was converted. We know Mael'nerak had two Maliri daughters with Valada. I would guess that the Progenitor father can determine the sex and species of any offspring. That's why I think John is the only Progenitor to ever be born. Why would a member of a race of immortal conquerors intentionally create a rival? It's not like they have to worry about a line of succession.
-aderi
A more critical reading of the passage where Valana is relating what Mael told her at least indicates there are probably several Progens out there. She says Mael told her his brothers sent their strongest for him. This indicates several things: First: more than one brother and second: Mael became an outcast who needed to be eliminated (according to either his brothers or their masters). Additionally, Mael created the Drakkar to replace the lack of thralls (he had become weak) so he could battle the progen brother. The outcome of that battle we can still only surmize. But it seems to have been a 10,000 year stalemate that is now resurfacing.
If you're having fun pointing out technological quibbles, I'm not going to stop you. Just don't expect Tef to give a shit.
As I recall, in an early chapter, someone pointed out that a laser with a color you can see is broken. Tef's response was that someone would have figured out how to add color to lasers this far in the future. Why would they want to do that? I have no idea.
Way back when 3SM started, I read the first few chapters as they were posted and quit because of the absurd inflation thing. This is a story written around a very specific fetish where the author doesn't seem to know anything about how semen works. Only 1% of the ejaculate is created in the testicles, at least for us Terrans. The rest comes from the prostate and the seminal vesicles. Logically, John's abdomen would have to deflate by the exact same volume as his partner's inflates. His ridiculous nuts just aren't relevant.
No one cares.
-aderi
P.S. I started reading again when I saw the persistent posting with high scores and decided to stop stressing over the silliness and found a pretty good story.
I never expected my response to end up in such a long discussion. And is the only way progenitors manipulate DNA through semen? Cuz I don't see him getting turned on by a drakkar female.
On that note, the fact that John and Alyssa both create white invictium, while the progenitor supplied equivalent is black, cannot be coincidence. (I assume the progenitor makes his armour psychically)
And the black goo from the astral behemoths didn't the crystal allysium, either.
Anything I missed?
Progenitors "modify" DNA thru their cum (so far in the story) but created the various races Trankarans ,Ashanath , Humans & now seemingly the Darkkar in cloning tanks . I believe the Darkkar were only created as shock troops because Mael no longer wanted to lose/waste his Maliri thralls . They are almost sub-human (as we define the term) & were only a stop gap desperate attempt to stop his brother Progenitor . As to where the Progens come from & how many there are , obviously they are more than a couple but it seems that they don't compete with each other unless they fail their Masters (to me the Astral beings) & stop conquering & killing . Only then was another brother sent . Who sent him ,again I vote Astral beings & not a group of equal brothers . The term brother to me sends the message of common Father or creator . Early on in the story I thought they seemed more like a cult like the Sith of Star Wars only one at a time & they used surrogate armies to do their conquering . You would expect a "Race" of conquers to be more than one being leading an army of thralls/slaves . Just my .02cents
I don't expect Tefler to care at all, it's something to do in between soaking parts and not watching paint dry as I rebuild my engine. After laughing about the quad, I just ignore it most of the time. John's part alien so I figure he probably has a quantum pump somewhere that pulls stuff out of thin air for as long as it takes.
It's a pretty good story, some of it's totally ridiculous and it can get brutal at times while avoiding readers' expectations. I was nonplussed when he introduced Tashana with her pirate-killing crew and let us get to know them before he slaughtered every one of them. I thought at least a couple of them were going to be new crew along with Tashana, the drooling Drakkar would have been fun!
Since symbolism is so rampant among the phsycic realm, may I assume that John's lack of Aura is just as important as the behemoth wound recoiling from the Crystal alyssium? And that the difference in color between the black goo and the blade is no coincidence?
Or is the fact that John made the blade have more to do with it?
I'm also starting to think that the progenitor that John will be facing has been around for a while now, seeing as how the FTL drive John has is a large step down from the wormhole generator. (unless it was something missing from the blueprints Dana unlocked through irillith)
As for who John's father is, I am of the tentative opinion that it's mael'nerak. In recent comments, it was mentioned that progenitors were made, not born. They also jealously guard their tech. Yet John, although he seems like he might be the first 'born' progenitor, was imprinted with 'everything a young progenitor needs to start his conquest'. Although mael'nerak's brother may have had plans to do a body swap, I prefer to think that mael'nerak planned on trying to raise a progenitor who could learn compassion without having to spend millennium in the company of one such as valaden.
For the question of John's lack of aura, my guess is that PJ has a dark aura while J has an aura bright enough to negate it. If so, John won't be ready to face PJ until his aura is much brighter than the blackness he notices while on spirit walks. Either that, or both aura's are hidden behind his mind shield.
Is there anything wrong with that theory so far?
I was just thinking, what would happen when john and bsp meet if Alyssa and Athena ganged up and set up a nul zone around the bsp? Then it is just a conventional fight.
Both Alyssa and Athena are going to blow the BSP's freakin mind. That is one huge and unknowable tactical advantage. BSP thinks he is going up against one Progen advisary, not three...two of which are highly devoted women protecting their Progenitor Alpha Male.
Ever seen a female animal protecting her young? Talk about ferel and fierce!
Additionally, John has had to learn martial arts, in several disciplines, such as Judo, Kendo, and other sword forms which the BSP would have never worried about due to reliance on his metaphysical prowess. That also gives John a very serious tactical advantage in a null zone fight. Sword against hand---the hand gets cut off...with the head...literally.
I find almost as much enjoyment through the reading of the daily comment updates as I derive from reading Tefler's new chapters (Note "almost").
Lots of thought provoking ideas and some crazy strange math and notions about physics and science in general but always entertaining. So now that it is nearly a week since the last update, two things.
First: Thankyou Tefler. Your story is well thought out and extremely entertaining. I have reread it now twice to fill in the wait time between new chapters, which leads me to; Second, how is the next chapter coming along?
Fan1952😃👏
I personally agree with a lot of your suppositions. Thinking the BSP is most likely a second child from his mother who took over the body at an early stage because he was incapacitated. The question is: was the Progenator in that stranded ship the Evil Brother or Mael.
I am thinking the BSP is an ofspring of the Evil Brother.
It makes sense to me because the Evil brother after Mael disappeared for 10,000 years or so...after knowing about the Maliri and after the battle with Mael. Also, the spirit guide for John is evil in its primary motivations rather than good and supportive like Athena is with Alyssa. If John's mother was enthralled by Mael one would think his spirit guide would be more benevolent in nature.
An alternative hypothesis is the BSP is the second son of Mael who didn't have the influences of Valada (over several thousand years) or Johns mother's parents and was overcome by the astral plane behemoth. This doesn't quite mesh as well given the natures of John's and Alyssa's spirit guides but is still workable.
The implications of John's Grandfather enrolling him into Martial Arts and his Sensae teaching him meditation to control himself at least indicates John's spirit guide was never benevolent. And one thing we have seen with Tefler's writing, he is very consistent on such things.
So: for the record....I am proposing that the Evil Brother won the battle but was incapacitated on a deserted world for 10,000 years. John's mother comes along and he enthralls her and impregnates her so he can take over the infant's body. That plan is somewhat foiled when she is forced to leave the planet and gives birth on Terra. She escapes to return to the Evil Brother and is impregnated again, giving birth to the BSP who is the Evil Brother that has taken over the infant's body.
This has serious implications for the story in that the Evil Brother and John will have equal genetic codes...which means they will (when John defeats his spirit guide) have equal abilities and equal levels of personal power.
The difference makers are then Athena and Alyssa, which the BSP would never even consider making such counterparts as it is against his nature to do so.
John's spirit guide (Pro-John) could best be thought of as a secondary personality. This personality by all lore stated was a benevolent one when John was younger but as John grows older and Pro-John is simply relegated to the background, Pro-John for what better of an explanation absorbs the more primal aspects of John (The Progenitor need to manipulate, conquer and enslave) and as such becomes the Pro-John that we all know from the story. Pro-John however is still weak as John's constitution and resolve of having only one night stands provides him with little power. It isn't until John meets Alyssa and starts to engage with her intimately on multiple occasions that Pro-John starts to gain power.
This brings me to my second point of what I think will happen with John and Pro-John. After the clusterfuck that was the obliteration of the Fulmanax, the brutal ceasing of the Trankaran uprising and Edraele's downfall; followed by the newest news on the Mael'Nerak, I see John going on a spirit walk and confronting Pro-John. While John is confronting Pro-John, Alyssa and the girls would be unable to communicate with him and there being a sort of Alien X moment (Ben 10: Alien Force reference; basically multiple entities, one body. No consensus between the entities = No outward movement). After reaching an agreement of sorts Pro-John and John become one resulting in John becoming more like Mael'Nerak (Caring and Benevolent leader and unintentional ruler).
That is about how I see it happening as well. Pro-John realizes he is defeated and cannot defeat both John and Alyssa. He will revert back to his initial reason for existence, even if only reluctantly. And John will be slightly different afterwards. His current psychological profile will be dominant, but his ego will have been altered slightly.
Interesting ideas about ProJohn I had wondered if he had made any appearances during John's military career since I'm sure he faced death a few times but John never mentioned any once he found out about what happened to him during his "black outs" with the Darkkar etc. Maybe he couldn't come forward until John created his Matriarch (Alyssa) & was shocked he wasn't in a teachable youth but a grown man with an established moral foundation . Is he in his "prison" able to see what is happening in real time world ? would he be impressed or shocked John has essentially done what he ( PJ ) wanted to do , take over the Maliri & become their Leader? It is amazingly more satisfying to be given something (power , love , respect ) than to tear it out of someone with force & much safer . Just look at the Maliri culture , it will only lead to self destruction . Will be an interesting confrontation when it happens & will tell a lot about the motivation of the Progenitors for their seemingly destructive tendencies , is it to Rule or to feed their Astral masters :-)
Seeing as how mael'nerak wouldn't let his matriarch blow up innocents in the way johns mother did, I must admit you are right.
I don't have much to add to this discussion personally, I know shockingly little about the lore.
Hope 78 cums out soon!
I doubt Jessica & John's father(whoever it might be ) thought of them as "innocents" . They stole his Matriarch & to Jessica they took her away from her Master & the information they had would put him in danger from the TF while he was still injured & weak . How do you think Alyssa would react to someone who tried to take her away from John , to quote Mr T 'I pity the fool" .
First of Tef , sincere thanks for writing this 1 and half year old and still continuing saga. It had me so hooked up that I did a binge reading of this from chapter 1. I cannot be more thankful for having come across this and finding this gem.
Really loving the saga of our 4 balled hero with burgeoning crew. The best part of this saga had been its verifiable facts. It seems like you are a good scientist yourself from the weaponry to how gravity works to how anatomy figures. Its a unique thread that binds the whole story.
Being honest with you, had started skipping sex part quite a lot as it just started to feel too much , but that's because I was doing a binge reading and if not for it would have gone through those fantasies in details but may be will reread the saga , the beauty of literature.
Thanks once again for sharing this amazing saga! keep up the exceptional work and hope this things gets more frequent chapters built up.
Reading between the lines, the Drakkar fleet now consists of (probably) some corvettes, a comparative handful of destroyers, 15 damaged but spaceworthy cruisers, 8 damaged but spaceworthy battleships, and a dreadnought.
Given that the original fleet numbered well into the hundreds, I'd say the minefield was overwhelmingly successful.
That's probably not enough destroyers or cruisers to act as effective screens for all the battleships. And given that the Invictus can now fire its pair of linked Nova Lances every 60 seconds, it wouldn't take long to put paid to those battleships.
I wonder whether it will come down to Invictus vs. the Drakkar dreadnought, followed by a boarding action by Overlord Vekruk and his retinue in their new, sonic weapon-resistant armor?
Tef, What's the update on Ch 78.. other than the 20k words that is.. when do you anticipate it wud be up on Lit.?
Thanks for the kind comments! It's always nice to hear someone reading through the entire story from the start, although I have some bad news for you. Unfortunately you'll have to wait for each chapter as I churn them out now! :-)
I normally aim for a new chapter every 10 days or so, but I've been really busy for the last week and haven't been able to write much. I bought a new computer the other day and I had to build that then configure it exactly as I wanted, which all took an inordinate amount of time!
Still it was well worth it, my old machine was about 8 years old and had starting crashing on me. It was well-past time for an upgrade!
Anyway, I hope you continue to enjoy the story! There's a lot of fun stuff still to come!
Tefler
I kinda feel like things aren't looking good for Dana. When the Invictus was boarded by the Drakkar, she got shot in the head. When the crew boarded Orkug's battleship, she gotten beaten with a wrench. Now, she wants to go into combat in an untested mech with brand new weapons systems. Add to that the fact that this chapter was so heavy on foreshadowing that Tef might as well have said Dana was two days from retirement and I come to the conclusion that she will be on death's door by the end of the fight. Of course, she won't actually die. She still has to figure out the wormhole generator. Athena, on the other hand, is toast, assuming that she still exists separate from Alyssa (I'm inclined to think that the merge happened during the fight with Tashana, right about where Alyssa suddenly learned to fly).
On a larger scale, I think this fight could go two ways depending on what Tef wants to show. If he wants to create one of the battles he's known for, it will be a knock down slug fest. If he wants to show how much the crew have grown, it'll go like Underworld. Given the recent upgrades to the Invictus' kinetic armament and the Drakkar fleet's Onyxium based armor, I don't think the Drakkar stand a chance. It will only be Dana that has to rely, primarily, on laser weapons against a foe specifically protected from them. Jade too, if she goes out in the Raptor, I suppose. On the other hand, the fight has to go badly enough that the greys reveal whatever the Legacy is. I hope it's the Progenitor ship they've been reverse engineering.
Regardless, I expect the Invictus' shields to get knocked out, probably the Raptor's as well. That will encourage the crew to head to the Brimorians where the BSP has engineered an alliance with the Kintark.
Of course, they'll have to stop in Terran space for another ceremony on the way. Maybe Rachel will finally get a field promotion like John and Calara have. Then Mikaboshi will attack and Sakura will get to defeat Shinatobe's replacement.
There's loads going on in the next chapter, including a huge battle, which is always a lot more time consuming to write than a regular one.
I've written about 22k words at the moment and I hope to continue making good headway on it over the weekend. Chapter 78 will probably be up on my site by about Tuesday or Wednesday, which means next weekend at the earliest for literotica, but more likely a week on Monday. (Allowing time for me to finish editing and then the moderation delay here.)
The editors enjoyed part 1, so I'm hoping you guys will like the whole chapter!
Tefler
The counts of damaged ships given don't say anything about the number of undamaged ships. We're told that about half of the Drakar fleet was in the minefield when it was activated, heavily biased towards smaller and faster ships. The Drakar will arrive at Ashana with most of their heavy hitters in fighting shape, but little screening. Fortunately for the Ashanath, the Drakar probably lack the finesse or discipline to arrange (and keep) their ships in a formation that allows the large ships to provide mutual support when they are attacked by smaller, faster ships.
jlmn: I would respectfully disagree; the counts I listed ARE the remaining capital ships that are in condition to fight. A comparative handful of destroyers (based on the comment that the Drakkar lost "almost all" of them), 15 cruisers out of 136, 12 battleships out of 25 (I misstated the number in my first comment), and the dreadnought. I don't recall Tefler giving any indication that the Drakkar use carriers, bombers, or fighters.
Given that the smaller, faster, and less heavily armored ships such as corvettes would have been in the minefield at detonation, I would assume casualties among that group would have been in the catastrophic range.
Great story. One of the bad things about waiting is wondering when the next segment is coming out and I'm sure we all appreciate you keeping us posted. Thanks again.
So I've just binge read the story from the beginning. HOLY S***! I'm completely gobsmacked! Fantastic writing, Tefler; simply amazing! I'm looking forward for the showdown; however, I'm pensive about the outcome.
Spot on!
SC8
Fucking awesome!!!!!! I love and hate the cliffhanger you left us with!!!
Great writing as always tefler. Keep it up!!
Nothing is said about undamaged ships beyond "...along with the Defiler, which were all too slow to enter the minefield and survived unscathed" which means that there were definitely undamaged ships beyond the Defiler. The counts are casualty reports, and there is no indication that they are total counts of ships in those classes or that ALL ships of those classes were damaged in some manner. The above quote suggests the opposite.
For all you addicts, just hang on.
It is going to be worth it.
To pass the time while waiting for the next chapter and to make sure I've got everything straight in my head before the expected Ashanath reveal, I've been rereading 3SM. We know that the Ashanath have been lying through their interfaces the entire time but, if what was said about the pictographs was true, then I, at least, missed something.
It's stated that the first set showed a Progenitor exterminating a race of red-skinned humanoids and collecting the women to serve as his soldiers. Further, this happened 20K years ago. I had been assuming that all of the pictographs were about Mael'nerak because Rachel said he was the only one operating here at the time. However, this doesn't fit the timeline established by the Unity files and Valada's recordings.
By that time, Mael already had dominion of the Maliri and had finished his experiments with creating life, aside from the Drakkar. Also, Valada's influence had started to calm him by then. I think this pictograph actually documents the arrival of Mael'nerak's brother and the start of the war between them. If so, it's interesting that the brother arrived without a standing army of his own.
I enjoy the battle scenes here but I really just want to get this one out of the way so we can finally find out what the Ashanath know. Assuming that they're honest this time.
-aderi
No offense meant towards you Father Sin...but this is just hil freakin larious.
Father Sin teases everyone saying "Patience, Patience," and the next chapter is "worth the wait," and gets a free ass pass on it. Not a wimper about spoilers or teasing or anyone saying they are considering "tearing him a new one." Even though we all know he is an editor and has already read the chapter.
Me, doing the same thing, and I am accosted. LOL...Is it because of the name? Shakes his head and muses: It is just like the double standards I deal with in my marriages and my work....just cannot win.
Father Sin gets a pass because he is speculating. (Note the use of "is going to be," not "is.") Speculation about the story is most of what happens in the comments here, and so far as I recall not objected to by anyone.
Actually, FatherSin is an editor and has finished reading chapter 78, I gave him the second half this afternoon. :-)
Tefler
Chapter 78 is finished!
Apologies for the wait, but chapter 78 took a while to write as it was quite complex to put together. I really hope you enjoy it, there's some major plot reveals and plenty of action!
I've handed it over to my editors and they'll be going over it for the next few days. I'll put the first draft up on my site tomorrow, then add edited versions as I receive editor suggestions.
Tefler
I take care to be sure that the next chapter isn't on Patron before replying, and he's read it anyway.